Does anyone else get nervous when they go into bike shops?

[Drago]

Being built like a middle aged Hafthor Bjornsson shop staff tend to stay well away from me, except the boys in my LBS who know me well - they're just as likely to say "Morning Drago, you tight bald git" as they are "can I help you Sir?", and that's fine by me.

 

[subaqua]

do you mind if i ask exactly where is this LBS? i just might happen to be heading that way soon

Pub Best- how many pints can you drink whilst your mate does a 10 mile TT, or how quick can you get between 2 pubs 10 miles apart

or the real one is
Personal Best
Cheers Ed

Personal best

10 pints of broadside then rode the 12 miles home. Unscathed

 

[subaqua]

Nope , never nervous and if an assistant comes over the line is - I will give you a shout when I need you.

 

[Venod]

if you look like your Avatar then I'm not surprised you get followed around

What for, my autograph ?

 

[JoeyB]

Being built like a middle aged Hafthor Bjornsson shop staff tend to stay well away from me, except the boys in my LBS who know me well - they're just as likely to say "Morning Drago, you tight bald git" as they are "can I help you Sir?", and that's fine by me.

Are you a 6ft 9inch Icelander?

 

[byegad]

I find Lady Byegad is the one who gets nervous.

There are three little signs and it goes like this:-.

1. 'You have three trikes already!'
2. 'Where will you store this one?'
3. 'IT COSTS HOW MUCH!

At which point I know it's already time to make my humble apologies to the assistant and slink out with a very quiet promise to come back later on my own!

 

[biggs682]

Being built like a middle aged Hafthor Bjornsson shop staff tend to stay well away from me, except the boys in my LBS who know me well - they're just as likely to say "Morning Drago, you tight bald git" as they are "can I help you Sir?", and that's fine by me.

and just where do you want me to start @Drago

Are you a 6ft 9inch Icelander?

@JoeyB you have never met @Drago then ?

@Easytigers you are going in the wrong bike shop in Wellingborough if you are looking at the bikes

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

Mine takes me out for lunch.

How much do you spend in there?

 

[Easytigers]

and just where do you want me to start @Drago



@JoeyB you have never met @Drago then ?

@Easytigers you are going in the wrong bike shop in Wellingborough if you are looking at the bikes

Hey Biggs...
Wasn't one in Wellingborough...However, I used to take my bike to Harpers (little shop near Aldi) if I needed any fettling that was beyond me and he was great. Closed now :-(

What are the others like? As far as I know there's one in the town centre (Adkins I think???) and the new one down at the embankment. Have you any experience of either?

 

[biggs682]

Hey Biggs...
Wasn't one in Wellingborough...However, I used to take my bike to Harpers (little shop near Aldi) if I needed any fettling that was beyond me and he was great. Closed now :-(

What are the others like? As far as I know there's one in the town centre (Adkins I think???) and the new one down at the embankment. Have you any experience of either?

Adkins all the way for me they do all of my work very good and honest

 

[Easytigers]

Adkins all the way for me they do all of my work very good and honest

Cool...I'll give them a try next time

 

[swansonj]

I second that. When I was looking around at road bikes a few years ago I went into four local shops; in three of them I was ignored completely and in the fourth when I eventually asked an assistant about a road bike he pointed across the shop at an array of hybrids and suggested I take a look at those.

As an aside, I went into Evans recently to look at getting some new mtb-style spd shoes. They had a large display of men's shoes of all kinds, which included just two women's shoes, one of which was a road shoe. So that left me with just the one choice, which was covered in pink flashes so not my style at all. Apparently I have to buy shoes online, and if I don't like them I can take them into the shop and get a refund .

If men had the same experiences as women often do in bike shops there would be uproar.

That's very interesting. The last few times I've been into Cotswold Outdoor, I've been impressed that they seem to have close to gender equality in their range of e.g. walking boots or waterproofs (of course, me being a bloke, it's possible they don't, but that my prejudiced eye notices a few token women's items and equates it to equality....). That implies that outdoor pursuits involving mechanical equipment (cycling) are still seen as "male" compared to equally physical, equally outdoor pursuits but not involving mechanics? Sad from multiple perspectives.

 

[vernon]

How much do you spend in there?

That's for me to know and my wife to find out.

 

[vernon]

Are you a 6ft 9inch Icelander?

Amongst gnomes he is a giant.

 

[Ganymede]

That's very interesting. The last few times I've been into Cotswold Outdoor, I've been impressed that they seem to have close to gender equality in their range of e.g. walking boots or waterproofs (of course, me being a bloke, it's possible they don't, but that my prejudiced eye notices a few token women's items and equates it to equality....). That implies that outdoor pursuits involving mechanical equipment (cycling) are still seen as "male" compared to equally physical, equally outdoor pursuits but not involving mechanics? Sad from multiple perspectives.

Yes some shops are better than others by quite a bit. However... take a look at the quality. Women's stuff is always made less rugged. Having said that, I think the theory is that blokes will buy stuff which is far better than they need because of the macho boy's toys thing, so it's equally sexist! Plus the outdoor shops are the only ones where the men get a better choice of colour than the women. I must say, only ONE pair of mtb shoes as @User13710 says is just ludicrous.

Perhaps the way to deal with bike shop assistants who are bothering you is to launch into a mahoosive rant about inequality. That would send them flying...